Stink Bugs Not Bugged By Winter, Doc Says

U.S. Working On Fix To Smelly Problem

Stink bugs invaded the Maryland area this past fall, and they haven't gone away with the cold weather.

"I think that this year will seem tame by comparison to next year, unfortunately," said Dr. David Rivers, an entomologist at Loyola University.

The Asian stink bug hitched a ride on shipping crates to the United States in 1998 but didn't make its way to Maryland until 2009, and that's why it seems like they're suddenly all over the place, he said.

Rivers said they stick around no matter what the season. He said they've reached adulthood by the winter and, unlike other bugs, the cold weather doesn't bother them.

"Part of the problem is that because it was accidentally introduced, there aren't any natural enemies that feed on it, and the ones that we saw last year will probably still be alive and will be this year and next year. It's a very long-lived insect," Rivers said.

He said they're not dangerous to humans, just more of an annoyance with the smell they release when threatened or killed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is working on a way to get rid of them.

"There are lots of folks trying to figure out if we can create traps, much like we do for Japanese beetles and gypsy moths, to actually attract the females into essentially a roach motel. They go in, but they won't come out," Rivers said.

Creating a successful trap could still be years away. In the meantime, the best thing homeowners can do is to keep them out by sealing off places that can let bugs in.

"The best approach, if they get in, is to use a vacuum to actually suck them up, with the realization that your vacuum will smell like the stink bug for a day or so. You can also put them on a piece of paper towel and throw them away. The approach you shouldn't take is to catch them and throw them outside," Rivers said.